Valorra
by Dream Painter
Summary: Lend a helping hand, get a loyal servant in return. Not exactly what Jack had in mind.


**Valorra**

6/22/06

By Dream Painter

SG-1 made their way toward the Stargate, tired and slightly worn out from lack of sleep due to the local inhabitants' habit of staying up all night partying. Apparently, the people in the village they'd visited didn't need more than four hours of sleep for every two day stretch. Other than that, it had been a surprisingly uneventful mission and they had little to show for it. But that was about to change.

As they reached the crest of the hill overlooking the Stargate, they saw a small group of people in the midst of a struggle. Lifting his binoculars to his eyes, Jack saw that it was five men struggling against a lone girl.

"That girl needs help," he told his team. "Let's go." They hurried to scene.

"Let me go!" the girl shrieked angrily. Four of the men grasped each one of her limbs as the fifth began to strip her of her clothing.

"Come here," he said. Grabbing a handful of hair, he kissed her violently. "Ouch!" he exclaimed suddenly, pulling away. His lips bled where she had bit him.

"You whore!" the man on her right arm exclaimed, hitting her on the back of the head.

"Release me!" she demanded, fury in her eyes. The fifth man wiped the blood from his face with the back of his fingers.

"You'll pay for that!" he declared. He unsheathed an eight-inch blade and moved towards her.

"Stop!" Jack demanded as he and the rest of SG-1 arrived on the scene. "Let her go."

"What's it to you?" one of the men sneered. "She's a slave girl who's wandered away from home—she's asking for trouble."

"Yeah, I bet that's why it takes four of you to hold her," Sam retorted. One of the men kneed the girl in the stomach. She crumpled to the ground, coughing, as the five men turned on SG-1.

"Let her go, or else," the brown-haired colonel threatened.

"Or else, what?" the fifth man demanded. Simultaneously, Jack and Sam fired their guns into the air and Teal'c leveled his staff weapon at them.

"Or else we use you for target practice," Jack responded. The men backed up a bit and then, turning suddenly, ran into the surrounding woods.

"You alright?" Daniel asked, helping the girl to her feet. She readjusted the remains of her tattered clothing on her body.

"I'll be fine," she responded coldly. She looked up at Jack, her expression changing. "You—you saved me."

"Ah," Jack shrugged, "just ridding the universe of injustice a few punks at a time." She fell on her knees before him, bowing her head to her chest.

"I could never repay you," she declared, "I will serve you with my dying breath."

"Actually, a thank you will be just fine," the man responded. SG-1 moved, once more, towards the Stargate. The girl got up and followed.

"I'm Sam," Major Carter introduced herself, holding out a hand. The girl stared at her, then took it awkwardly.

"Valorra," she returned.

"I'm Daniel," the archaeologist spoke up. "This is Jack and Teal'c."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Valorra responded.

"So, where are you from?" Sam asked before Daniel could get around to it.

"Anthar," the girl responded. "It is my natural purpose in life to serve, but I had been sold as a child to a man who had no regard for human life." They reached the Stargate.

"Well, this is where we part," Jack told her before Sam or Daniel could ask any more questions. "Send us a postcard from wherever you're going."

"Part?" Valorra echoed. "You saved my honor. I owe you my life for that."

"Uh—no, you don't," the colonel countered. "Daniel, get this damn thing going so we can get home."

"Okay, Jack," Daniel responded, punching in the address for earth.

"Master, you must take me with you. Your life is my life now—I will die for you!"

"I already have people willing to do that for me," Jack told her, motioning for the others to go through the gate. "I gotta go, now—find someone else to die for." He stepped through the event horizon.

"There's a fifth person coming through the gate, sir," the technician told General Hammond.

"Are you bringing someone with you, Colonel?" General Hammond asked him over the intercom.

"What?" O'Neill asked. He turned in time to see Valorra step onto the ramp. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.

"Identify yourself," Hammond demanded over the intercom in his thick Texan accent. Valorra looked up in surprise. She had light brown hair and eyes. As she spotted General Hammond, she narrowed her eyes and they became a dark green. She moved between Jack and the control room window.

"Valorra of Anthar of the planet Nyptus of the Meridian Galaxy, defender and servant of my master," she declared, then turned to Jack. "Master, does this man pose a threat to you?"

"No, and I'm not your damn master!" the colonel responded irritably. Sam and Daniel snickered, and even Teal'c seemed to be amused. Valorra's eyes turned light brown again.

"Very well," she said. "Do I properly assess that this is your home planet?"

"Yeah," Daniel responded when Jack didn't. General Hammond glanced down at his watch. It was five after the hour.

"Get cleaned up," he commanded. "Debriefing is on the hour."

"Yes, sir," Jack saluted and the blonde haired major with him. The general returned their salute and the four teammates left the room. Valorra had watched with curious pale blue eyes. She followed Col. O'Neill out the door, her eyes a light brown once more. Two guards barred her way. She struggled against them, but they held her back.

"Master!" she yelled. Jack turned, a look of despair on his face.

"Just—stay with them," he ordered with a flippant wave of his hand. Valorra stopped struggling.

"As you wish," she responded. She allowed two guards to take her by the arms and lead her away.

---

_Later, in the briefing room . . ._

"The tests I was able to take are inconclusive," Dr. Janet Frasier told the members of SG-1. "Valorra's genetics are not entirely human—they've been altered—I've never seen anything like it. She's amazingly strong and it's like she's been hard-wired to pledge full, unwavering allegiance to one person, rather than to seek her own survival like most humans usually are. Apparently, that person is you, Colonel."

"Well, what if I don't want to be her damn master?" Jack demanded.

"I can't be certain, but I believe she will serve you anyway."

"What if Jack ordered her to serve someone else?" Daniel suggested.

"Do think that would work?" the colonel asked.

"It may be worth a try," the doctor admitted. After they'd been dismissed, the four teammates made their way to the infirmary.

"Master, what did they do to me?" Valorra inquired as Jack and the rest of the team entered a room. She looked over the shoulders of Janet and a nurse who were studying x-rays of her chest and abdomen, her eyes a sky blue. The girl looked down at her body, then back at the radiographs. "This is . . . me?" she asked the doctor, pointing at one of the images.

"It's a picture of your bones, yes," the doctor answered.

"But how? I do not understand . . . ." the girl trailed off, turning to face Jack. "Master, I remained with your companions as you told me to. They've done . . . strange things to me. This one here," she motioned to Janet, "punctured my skin with a thin metal tube and drew out some of my blood. She also sewed my leg." Valorra raised her pant leg to reveal a neatly sutured gash in the side of her right leg. Her eyes returned to their natural brown.

"If she'd been cut any deeper, it would've damaged the muscle," Janet contributed. "You didn't tell me your bondservant was injured."

"I—we saved her from getting raped," O'Neill answered irritably. "I didn't expect her to be hurt!"

"The fact that her pant leg was soaked with blood might have been a clue," the doctor informed him. "In any case, she can't remain in this clothing—there's hardly anything left of it. You should get her some BDUs." Janet placed the radiographs into a folder. "Oh, and she's free to go with you, now," she added before going out the door. SG-1 turned to face Valorra. Her eyes had turned a light blue again.

"Master, what is raped?" she asked, following Jack as they all left the room. "And Beady Yoos?" The colonel cleared his throat.

"Um . . ." he started.

"Sexual assault," Teal'c answered, "and camouflage clothing."

"Oh," Valorra responded. "We do not have those terms on Nyptus." Sam and Daniel exchanged looks, mischievous grins on their faces.

"Jack," the archaeologist spoke, "Sam and I have to study the samples we brought back from the last mission. We'll see you later." The two teammates parted down a separate hall.

"Sure you do!" he shouted after them.

"I, too, must go, O'Neill," Teal'c informed him.

"What?" the colonel exclaimed, but the Jaffa had already left. He turned back to Valorra, who regarded him silently. "Let's get you something more modest," he grumbled, continuing down the hall. Wordlessly, Valorra followed.

---

"Hey—Valorra?" Jack called, cautiously opening the door to the locker room. "Do you have those on yet?" The man made his way to where he had left the girl with a pair of BDUs. As he rounded a group of lockers, Valorra came into view. The girl stood in front of a mirror, looking intently from her reflection to her camouflage attire. She turned to look at him.

"Master," she began. "These clothes are like yours. I can't dress like you—it's simply unheard of."

"About that . . ." Jack began. "Uh, you see, I'm really busy and I can't have you following me everywhere—it's not safe."

"Which is why I will protect you," Valorra interjected.

"I've already got protection," he told her. "And, err, as your master, I command you to return to your planet and serve the first nice guy you come across. And that's an order." Her eyes turned an ashy gray, as though a cloud had crossed her mind.

"You don't want me," she said sadly, "but I will serve you anyway." Her eyes returned to their natural color as she looked away from him. "To serve anyone but you, even at your command, would be betrayal for me and I could not live with myself."

"I see," Col. O'Neill mused out loud. He turned to go.

"In time," Valorra vowed, "I will prove my loyalty to you."

---

_Holding room, late that night . . ._

"Master!" Valorra cried out in her sleep. A passing SGC employee paused in the observation room to look down and see what was going on. The girl was beginning to jerk slightly, throwing her head from side to side.

"Dr. Frasier?" Janet looked up from the file she was examining to see the employee standing before her.

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" she asked.

"You might want to see this," the young man told her, "Col. O'Neill's, um, servant is behaving somewhat violently."

"Is she trying to get out of the holding room?"

"No . . . as far as I can tell, she's still asleep." The two of them headed towards the observation room. By now, Valorra's entire body was tossing violently, abrupt and almost seizure-like.

"MASTER! MASTER!" she cried at the top of her lungs. As she flung out her left arm, her hand smashed against the concrete wall and immediately began to bleed.

"We have to sedate her," Janet said, turning to go, then turned back suddenly to the monitor. "Wait a minute," she began, looking at the bloodied spot on the wall. "Is that . . ?"

"She left a hole in the wall," the lieutenant finished incredulously.

"Master!" the girl gasped, suddenly sitting bolt-right up in the bed, her eyes wide and dark brown. Janet and the lieutenant watched expectantly as Valorra slowly scanned the room. Her gaze fell on the door. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she crossed the room and jamming her fingers in the seam along either side the door, she ripped it from its hinges and tossed it aside.

"Let's go!" Janet exclaimed.

"Stop!" a guard ordered as Valorra emerged from the room. He and one other guard were aiming their guns at her. Her eyes turned dark green. With surprising speed, she disarmed both of them, knocked the one unconscious, and held the other up against the wall by the throat.

"Where is Master O'Neill?" she demanded.

"Th-the colonel?" the man gasped.

"Where is he?" she slammed him against the wall for emphasis. The man pointed down a hallway and Valorra released him, traveling the direction he had indicated. He coughed painfully, rubbing his sore neck. As the girl made her way around a corner, her eyes once more a dark brown, her path was blocked by Janet, the lieutenant, and two SFs. The men leveled their guns at her.

"Valorra, you don't have to do this," said the red-haired doctor, motioning to the men to hold their fire.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Valorra replied, her eyes flashing dark green then back to dark brown.

"I know," Janet took a step towards her, "but I need you to come with me."

"I must find Master O'Neill," the girl declared. Hesitating for a moment, Janet motioned for the men to lower their weapons. Valorra pushed pass them and hurried down the hall.

Jack awoke to the klaxons sounding and red lights flashing in the hall outside his on-base apartment. Meanwhile, Janet and her team followed in Valorra's wake, periodically coming across unconscious guards and staff.

"These guys are all gonna wake up with headaches," the woman murmured as she checked one's pulse.

"This one's bleeding," an orderly spoke up suddenly. Janet hurried to his side. Blood stained his jacket, but upon closer inspection, she found that he was uninjured (except for the sufficient blow to the head that knocked him out, of course). She got up to continue down the hallway.

"Aren't we going to help him?" Janet turned to face her subordinate.

"It's not his blood," she told him, and they continued along. "Valorra smashed one of her hands and probably tore off all of her fingernails."

"Ouch," the man winced as he tried to imagine his nails being removed.

---

"What's going on here?" Jack demanded, as he met a young officer in the hall.

"It's that girl," the woman stammered, "she—she just . . . ." she trailed off as Valorra came around a corner, followed (cautiously) by members of SGC. Seeing the colonel, she fell to the ground at his feet.

"Master!" she exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"Yeah, I am," he responded, noticing her bleeding hands as he lifted her up to her feet. "What's going on?" Valorra's eyes had changed to a light purple.

"I—I dreamed that you, you were taken and I . . . I wasn't there to protect you," there were tears streaming down her cheeks as she spoke, her body trembling like a leaf. "I—I, I failed you. You were taken . . . and, and I could not help you." A crowd was beginning to gather.

"Look, Valorra," Jack said, taking her by the shoulders. "It was just a dream—a nightmare."

"I failed you, I didn't . . . ." Valorra's words ended abruptly as her eyes returned to their natural light brown. Her body grew limp and she crumpled to the floor.

"Valorra?" O'Neill knelt beside her, checking for a pulse. Janet pushed forward through the small crowd.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"I don't know," the colonel answered. "She came to me all hysterical and frightened over some nightmare about me being taken or something and while I was talking to her, she just passed out."

"Alright," the doctor turned to her team. "Get her to the infirmary and run a CAT scan, STAT." The excited group parted as the med team made its way through with Valorra on a gurney. Jack remained standing in the hall after everyone else left, looking a bit worried and murmuring something to himself.

---

_Briefing room—later in the morning_

"I still can't account for Valorra's sudden burst of strength," Dr. Frasier told General Hammond and the members of SG-1. "She was already incredibly strong to begin with, but my guess is that she was powered by a rush of adrenaline beyond that of any human being I've come in contact with. If I'm correct," she brought up a copy of Valorra's CAT scan on the projector, "then I believe it's adrenaline that also fed this." The radiograph show a golf ball sized growth in a portion of Valorra's brain.

"She has a tumor?" Sam asked in surprise.

"Had," Janet corrected. "It wasn't there when she got here or when we ran an MRI twenty minutes ago."

"So it just . . . disappeared?" Daniel puzzled.

"Yes," the doctor answered. "But if it is fed by adrenaline, it can come back worse the next time she gets upset or excited."

"Meaning?" Jack wanted to know.

"Colonel, I was in the observation room just before she woke up—she was terrified beyond reason. Her worst nightmare at this point is not being able to protect you. For her own health and safety, I'm afraid you're going to have to let her . . . serve you."

"Do ya think I could get her to serve Daniel?" the brown-haired colonel asked with a despairing look. Sam let out a small laugh and Daniel looked at him in surprise. Janet just smiled sympathetically.

---

_Infirmary_

"Dr. Frasier," a nurse asked from Valorra's bedside, "could you . . . come look at this?" The red-haired doctor walked up to the nurse's side.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was going to change the bandages on her fingers and—well . . . ." the woman held up the unconscious girl's hand so that Janet could get a clear view of her fingertips. The nails were perfectly intact without so much as a hangnail. The doctor took the hand in her own, turning it over to view the tips that had nearly been skinned to the bone—they only appeared slightly bruised.

"Oh, my word," she murmured. Taking Valorra's left hand, she removed the bandage and splint from around it. While the bones beneath the skin were still crushed, the skin itself was scarcely broken and the swelling had gone down considerably. Janet lifted the blankets to examine the gash she had stitched the day before to find that it was completely healed.

"Dr. Frasier?" the nurse questioned. Janet met her gaze, and then looked back at Valorra.

"I—I don't believe it," she uttered in awe. "She heals almost as quickly as Teal'c."

---

_Commissary_

"Here comes the new terror of SGC," someone said as Valorra made her way across the commissary. One private nearly spilled his tray trying to get out of her path. After a moment, she took a seat beside Col. Jack O'Neill.

"Master," she greeted. She was clothed in a new pair of BDUs.

"Hey," he returned, sparing her a glance. "How's the hand?" She looked up at him.

"Sore," she answered with a small smile. "Apparently, I got in a fight with a cement wall. I think it won." Jack laughed.

"I don't know," he said, giving her his untouched salad and fork, "I think that wall will think twice before picking another fight with you." Valorra's face broke into an absolutely beautiful smile.

"Where are your friends?" she asked, taking a bite of lettuce.

"Probably over-working," he shrugged, then after moment asked, "How old are you, Valorra?"

"Nineteen," she replied. "I've worked for Master Timdor since I was five." She became quiet.

"That long, huh? What'd he do?"

"He, uh, he sold his children to the Goa'uld to obtain their technology, killed anyone who brought him news he didn't want to hear, and he—uh," Valorra took a deep breath, looking away from Jack. "The women and . . . girls—he has no respect for." She picked at the salad, having suddenly lost interest in eating. "That's why I knew you were my true master—you protected me when I couldn't protect myself."

"Look, Valorra," Jack began, "I'm really flattered and all—you seem like a great kid—but, I really can't have you going everywhere with me. Isn't there anyone you can listen to besides me?"

"No," she answered without hesitation, then bit her lip. "Actually, that's not entirely true—I am still obligated to listen to my father."

"You mean your father can tell you to serve someone else—like me—and you'd obey?" The girl looked at him with gray eyes.

"Yes, Master O'Neill," she replied reluctantly. "My father can instruct me to serve another and I would obey."

"I'm going to talk to General Hammond, then I want you to take me to your father," he said, standing to his feet. "Is that understood?" Valorra stood to follow.

"Yes, Master," she spoke glumly.

"Hey," Jack said, taking her chin in his hand. "I won't let you go back to that other guy, okay? I promise." She managed a small smile.

"I know," Valorra returned, her eyes misting with tears as they turned a light green. "But I want to stay with you." O'Neill put his tray in one hand.

"Come here," he said, putting his free arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him as they made their way quietly across the commissary.

---

_Valorra's home planet_

"Are we there yet?" O'Neill asked for what must have been the tenth time. Sam shook her head.

"Yes, Master," Valorra replied, seeming a little happy herself. "It's just over the crest of this hill. I haven't seen my family for three years."

"So Timdor allowed you visit your family?" Daniel questioned.

"Only because it's part of the arrangement," the girl answered. "It used to be more frequent when I was younger, but it has become less and less over the years."

"What kind of arrangement?" Sam asked.

"Timdor was going to destroy our people rather than allow us to serve anyone else. My father convinced him that if one of us were to serve him, he would not be sorry. Unfortunately, Timdor chose me and there was nothing my family could say. But he agreed to allow me to come home on occasion."

"That's horrible," Daniel murmured sadly.

"It is, Daniel Jackson," Valorra agreed, turning to face SG-1 as she stood at the very top of the hill. "But today—I get to see my family again!" She threw out her arms for emphasis, a joyful smile upon her face, but they were no longer looking at her. Her eyes turned a light blue as she turned to see what they were staring at.

"Oh, my word," Major Carter finally uttered. An unreadable expression clouded Valorra's face as she looked upon the remains of her village, her eyes their natural brown. Only a few of the scorched dwellings still stood.

"No!" Valorra screamed. She ran down the path to her village. "Papa!" she shouted. "Mama! . . . anyone . . . ." The bodies of dead people and animals lay amidst the smoldering remains. Seeing a dog lying near a pile of rubble, she went and moved aside the thin fallen wall. SG-1 had their weapons drawn.

"Valorra?" Sam went to stand next to her.

"Bierna," Valorra sobbed, turning away. Lying just under the charred remains of what had once been someone's home was a younger version of herself. She hurried to the end of the main street and into the dwelling which still stood there. Sitting where he'd been smitten near the center of the single room was an older man, a woman at his feet. Burnt into the back wall was a message. As SG-1 entered the home, Valorra pushed passed them.

"Valorra, wait!" Daniel ran after her. "Those were your parents, weren't they? What did that message say?"

"That Timdor came and punished them," she responded coldly.

"This isn't your fault!" She turned on him.

"I ran away, so he came and slaughtered my people. I'm the only one left—how is this not my fault?" She broke into a run up the hill, SG-1 close behind. She stopped suddenly at the crest of the hill, her eyes a light green. Sinking to the ground as she brought her hands to her face, Valorra rested her head against her knees and began to cry.

"I don't understand!" she sobbed, looking up at O'Neill. "I followed everything in my heart—everything I've always been taught to believe—and this . . . this is what happens. It doesn't make sense . . . ." She buried her face in her arms against her knees. No one knew what to say. Finally, Teal'c made an attempt.

"It is apparent that there was a great struggle," he gently intoned, "your people did not perish without honor." Valorra stood and turned to face him in one brief, elegant move.

"My people were prided on their unwavering loyalty to one's master," she cried angrily. "I walked away from mine—_I_ dishonored my people and now they have died." Her eyes flickered dark green and grey before returning to a lime green and finally darkening to their natural brown. Her shoulders drooped and her head hung.

"What now, Master?" she asked listlessly, without sparing Jack one look.

"Now," he replied, "we go after the son of a bitch who did this." Valorra looked up at him in surprise, an expression of unbelief on her face. As she realized that he was serious, she straightened her shoulders and raised her chin, her eyes momentarily turning a dark violet. Bringing her hand up smartly, she saluted him. He returned the gesture and she lowered her arm.

"As you wish," she proudly replied.

---

_Dusk, on a hill overlooking the home of Timdor_

"Valorra, are you sure only one person lives there?" Jack questioned as he gazed over the expansive grounds. Nearly twenty stone buildings and a large field stood surrounded by massive walls.

"Yes, Master," Valorra replied. O'Neill handed Carter the binoculars and she surveyed the area.

"It's crawling with guards," she pointed out, handing them back.

"Timdor lets down his guard at night," Valorra told them. "After dark, the entire west wall is left unguarded. He's become so powerful that he assumes no one will attack him. My people were the only ones to the west, so he figured he had nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, we'll see . . ." Jack didn't sound convinced as he took a final look at the estate of Timdor.

---

_Well after dark . . ._

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, handing the colonel the binoculars. Jack gazed through them to see that, just as Valorra had said, the west wall was entirely unguarded.

"Let's move," he told them. They made their way down the side of the hill towards the wall.

"Um . . . Jack?" Daniel questioned as they came up to it. "How are we supposed to get in?" The wall towered nearly twenty feet above them and was as smooth as marble with no visible seams along its entire length.

"Follow me," Valorra said, motioning to them. She picked her way along the wall, glancing up at the crest of hill as SG-1 followed. Suddenly, she stopped as she spotted a small light on the hilltop. Craning her neck, she positioned herself beneath two brightly shining stars and then placed her hands against the wall. Silently, a rectangular door appeared and swung open into a darkened corridor.

"Oh, my word," Sam uttered in awe as she and the rest of SG-1 entered behind Valorra. The door closed behind them.

"Timdor put a door in his unguarded wall?" Daniel puzzled.

"Timdor's servants put a door in his unguarded wall," Valorra replied. "Follow me." She led them through several passageways and out into the night air once again.

"These buildings are made of the same material as the outer wall," Teal'c pointed out as the four team-members looked around in awe.

"So, where's this guy live?" O'Neill asked Valorra.

"This way, Master," she responded. They made their way to a large dwelling near the center of the estate. It was also surrounded by a wall, but it was only four feet tall. Strangely, no one seemed to be guarding the house.

"Sir, what exactly do we plan to do?" Major Carter brought up the obvious.

"Well, um—we'll take him hostage, take away his Goa'uld toys that he got trading his kids, and then lock 'im up for the rest of his life," he told her. Carter looked dubious. The five of them reached up and pulled themselves to the top of the wall.

"You're, uh, strong," Daniel whispered to Valorra.

"Thank you," she smiled. They crouched atop the wall for a moment, looking over the premises for any sign of danger. Jack motioned for them all to follow as he jumped to the ground. No sooner had his feet touched the ground, however, than an alarm began to sound and lights turned on all around them.

"Oh, boy," Jack muttered as they were quickly surrounded by armed guards and servants. A few of them had zat guns, but most of the weapons were unfamiliar. "You might have warned us about this," he pointed out to Valorra.

"Master, I didn't know this would happen," she replied. "I've never been inside this wall before."

"Now, you tell us." The crowd parted, all weapons directed at SG-1, as a robed figure made his way towards the intruders. "Stand down," Jack instructed his team, slowly lowering his weapon.

"Well, well, well," said Timdor evilly. "What have we here? It would appear that the prodigal slave has returned. I trust you told your parents hello for me."

"You monster!" Jack had to grab the back of Valorra's jacket as she lunged towards him. "You killed my family!"

"Your father made a promise," the man sneered back. "He promised that ALL of your people were loyal to the highest degree and that I would not be disappointed. That coward didn't even stand when I approached him."

"You didn't give him a chance!" she shrieked angrily. Jack yanked her back as she once more tried to throw herself at Timdor.

"I said stand down," he growled.

"I don't understand."

"It means don't do anything stupid." Reluctantly, Valorra stood still, glaring at Timdor with dark green eyes.

"So this must be the new master," Timdor mused, walking up close to O'Neill. "You've made a pitiful selection, Valorra—I'm disappointed." Jack stiffened at this comment, but made no response. "Return to your quarters, Valorra," he told her, then addressed one of the guards, "Kill the intruders." He stalked away as his men moved in on SG-1, who drew their weapons. Valorra's eyes turned dark brown as she threw herself between O'Neill and a guard. De-arming the man with amazing speed, she took him by the arm and flipped him onto his back. SG-1 fired upon their attackers with their zat guns as Valorra remained close to Jack. Seeing that they were no match, many of Timdor's servants turned and fled.

"Don't shoot!" one of fifteen who still remained shouted, lifting his hands in surrender. "We want to help you defeat Timdor."

"Should we trust him?" O'Neill asked Valorra. She looked at him, her eyes still dark brown, and nodded. "Alright," he agreed. They made a dash towards the dwelling, but before they could reach it, the door and windows disappeared as the entire building seemed to become a solid block of marble.

"It's useless, sir," Carter said, failing to get the now non-existent door to open.

"Come," directed one of the servants, "Timdor did not build his own house." They followed the man to the west end of the structure where another servant aligned himself with the light and stars and Valorra had outside the estate. A door opened into the interior and SG-1 entered.

"Wait here," Jack instructed the other servants as Valorra entered ahead of him, "if we're not out in a few minutes, come after us. Understood?" The men nodded and Jack entered the dwelling, the door closing behind him. SG-1 looked around, seeing that the room they had entered was empty. Their weapons drawn, they slowly made their way to the next room. As they stepped inside, the room filled with armed guards who fired upon SG-1. They returned fire, retreating back into the room they'd come from, Valorra fighting off any who came near to Jack. As the air force colonel back farther into the first room, he was taken from behind.

"Secret doorways are wonderful," Timdor smirked, aiming a ribbon device at Jack's brain. "I was once a host to a Tok'ra," he explained as Jack groaned in pain. "But once it found out that as a human, I was no better than the Goa'uld, it left me." O'Neill fell unconscious to the floor. Timdor took the colonel's weapon and pointed it at him.

"Colonel!" Sam cried out, being the first to realize what had happened.

"Put down your weapons, or I'll kill him," Timdor threatened. Everyone stopped fighting and the rest of SG-1 reluctantly placed their weapons on the ground. Valorra slapped away the restraining hand of a guard. Timdor motioned to be handed Teal'c's staff weapon, and it was given him. Then, each member of SG-1 was restrained by the guards.

"Valorra, come," Timdor demanded. The girl approached him, her eyes momentarily turning dark green before returning to a blackish brown. "This is your last chance to be forgiven. Kill your master." He handed Valorra Jack's gun and leveled the staff weapon at her. She stood over Jack, her eyes flickering a light green but remaining dark brown. Cocking the gun, she turned suddenly on Timdor and open fired. He shot at her once with the staff weapon, hitting her in the hip as he fell to the ground. Valorra threw herself protectively over Jack's unconscious form as the room erupted into pandemonium. The servants from outside broke into the house as SG-1 managed to free themselves.

"Ugh . . ." Jack moaned, coming to consciousness to find Valorra atop of him. "Valorra?" he took her by the shoulders.

"Master . . ." she murmured, her eyes a pale violet, "You're alive." Her eyes changed back to their natural color as she blacked out. One of the servants had made his way to Timdor's side.

"Timdor's dead!" he yelled standing to his feet. Slowly, the fighting came to a stop.

"He's dead?" someone asked in disbelief.

"Dead!" the man repeated. "The servant Valorra has killed him." The servants all looked at one another as though they were suddenly lost.

"Then that means . . ." began a young man, "that-that . . . ."

"You're free," Sam finished for him. Some of the slaves looked doubtful.

"She's right!" exclaimed another. "With Timdor dead, no one can make us fight for him—no one can make us stay here away from our families!" Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel hurried over to where Jack knelt over Valorra.

"Sir, are you alright?" Carter inquired worriedly.

"I'll be fine, but we gotta get her to the infirmary," he answered, attempting to stop the flow of blood from Valorra's hip.

"Her pulse is very weak," the blonde pointed out.

"That's why we need to get her out of here—now." Jack picked Valorra up in his arms and they headed out, leaving the house of Timdor to rejoice in their new-found freedom.

---

_Infirmary, the following day_

SG-1 entered the infirmary and approached Dr. Frasier.

"How is she?" Sam asked. Wordlessly, the doctor showed them a copy of Valorra's latest CAT scan. A large portion of her brain was covered with an unidentified growth.

"But she'll get better, right?" Daniel spoke up. "I mean, last time, it just went away, so she'll be fine."

"From what I can gather," Janet said softly, turning to face them, "Valorra's system underwent a major increase in adrenal output and then it suddenly stopped producing, causing her to have an adrenal crisis." The woman choked up for a moment, but forced herself to continue. "The last time she had this kind of growth in her brain it began to diminish immediately, but . . ."

"And this time?" Jack prodded, an anxious look beginning to spread across his face.

"This time, it's not going away," the doctor replied, turning so as not to face them. "This time, it's still growing and there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry." Janet left them standing there, still not quite grasping the weight of her words. Later in the day, Jack sat alone in a chair beside Valorra's bed.

"Look," he said suddenly to the unconscious teen, "I know I never really warmed up to this whole 'master' thing, but—I don't want you to go. You gotta wake up. And that's an order, do you hear? That's a direct order." The man hung his head disappointedly, as though he'd really expected her to comply.

"Master . . ." Valorra spoke faintly. He looked up at her, a smile on his face.

"Hey," he returned. "It's good to see you awake—you're gonna be just fine." The girl moved her lips, as though to say something more, her eyes closed and forehead wrinkled in concentration. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze.

"I . . . w-will ser-ve you," she began haltingly, "with . . my dying breath . . . ." As she repeated that one line, her eyes grew a dark purple.

"I know," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "You proved that to me. You're a good kid. You didn't need me to save your honor—you saved it yourself." Valorra smiled gently. Slowly, she brought her hand up to her forehead. Unable to return the smile, Jack returned the salute instead as tears misted his eyes. Her arm came back down to her stomach as her breathing slowly grew less and less. The eyes, which were ever changing color, became a beautiful royal blue.

"I love you, Master O'Neill . . . ." she breathed softly. Valorra continued to gaze at him but a moment before her eyelids fell shut and her head rolled back on the pillow. The steady hum of the heart monitor must have been sounding because Janet left the doorway where she'd watched the scene to turn it off. But Jack didn't hear it, nor did he acknowledge the red-haired doctor, as he took Valorra's bandaged hand in his own. A tear trickled down his weathered cheek.

"I love you, too, kid."

---

**END.**


End file.
